There's No Place Like Home
by ashee2012
Summary: Alek and Chloe haven't seen or really talked since Chloe got together with Brian. She had United the races and things were settling down. But since Alek has been gone things have changed. Chloe has seen Brian's true colors, and Alek is coming home, finally. What will happen when they reunite after so much has happened between them and so long? Can they mend what has been broken?
1. Chapter 1: Silence

**A/N: So I've been obsessed with TNLOCK fanfiction. I mean obsessed. I figured I would take a crack at it. This might be a one shot or I might make it a full story, I'm not sure yet. Because as we all know I never plan for anything! If I mess this up, please don't hate me. I haven't read the books, just watched the show. ( I really REALLY want to read the books. And as I'm writing this, I just took a moment to buy the complete series on Amazon...You see. OBSESSED PEOPLE!) **

**I just wanted to preface what is going on in this story. Its after the finale and after Chloe has done her duty as the Uniter (she took a bullet for her mom from the order, her mom knows she's Mai, the races are united, Mai's can kiss humans yay blah blah blah.) Brian is NOT in this story. He might pop up later for some drama or something else, but its highly doubtful. So if you like Brian, turn away now cause he's about to be a cheating son-of-a-bitch. The story about the kiss at the theater is this: the order had an antidote for the "curse". Which in my head is kind of like poison. They had this antidote because they were always having people try and infiltrate the Mai through relationships; such as Zane although he was Mai. Brian is alive and well. Also, Valentina is going to be alive in this! At least for a while. Everyone else seems to kill her off so they won't have to deal with her. They do the same thing to Chloe's mom, who is also alive for the time being. Paul and Amy might not be in here much either just because I don't really feel a need to detail every moment of their lives. They aren't Mai, they aren't part of Chalek, and I probably won't talk about school much. Not really a need for much of them, although I mention them in passing. **

**This story will have idea's (such as mates from ILove9Lives-BTR i think) that aren't my original ideas. There are probably some ideas from SyfyGeek13 in here too. If you know who's they are let me know in a review and I'll most definitely give them credit. Its just that I've read so many TNLOCK fanfics that they all seemed to blur together into one huge one. **

**Also, this is going to be a long chapter because I need to begin it with a lot of explanations. **

**Now that we have a basis for our story let us begin!**

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***Chloe POV***

_Tic Toc Tic Toc _

Alone. For the past two years of my life I had never been alone. There was always someone on the roof or someone in the room with me. I had wanted to be alone a lot in those two years but now that I had gotten to be alone...it just didn't feel right. Jasmine was living on campus at the University of California. Alek was...gone. He just up and left. I didn't know where he was. He didn't leave a note or call or anything. I went to the penthouse one day and he was just gone. Jas and Valentina wouldn't tell me where he had gone.

I knew I had hurt him. I knew when Brian knocked on the door and I agreed to let him take me out that things with Alek would never be the same. I knew he was on the roof, even if he didn't need to be. I heard him angrily walk across the roof and down into the street as he left. I knew he wasn't going to forgive me for this one. But I didn't know he would leave for good. He's been gone for months with no contact. At least thats what everyone wants me to believe. But I know he would never just go away without checking in with Jas and Valentina. He loves them. Its me he doesn't want to talk to.

I lay on my bedspread sprawled out just listening to the peaceful silence, trying to sleep, but two things were keeping me up: The fact that I was all alone, and the images of Brian and his girlfriend.

Today marked the 3rd month that I had not spoken to Brian. Today marked the 3rd anniversary of the day that he flaunted his girlfriend in my face. Today marked the day that I found out Brian was a cheater.

**(A/N: For future reference, if its in Italics its either a flashback, or someone on the other line of a phone call. This one is a flashback...Carry on.) **

_Amy shifted uncomfortably in her seat at the coffee shop. A second later Paul looked up from his drink and quickly back down after a nudge from Amy. _

"_What's wrong?" I asked them both. _

"_Um nothing. We can talk about it later. Let's go somewhere else. Its boring here." Amy said nervously sliding out from the table. _

"_You've never said that before, and we haven't even been here 5 minutes. What's wrong?" I replied turning in my seat to look behind me._

"_Chloe don't turn around!" Amy quickly said reaching over to try and stop me. But it was too late. _

_There, smiling and laughing, sat Brian with some long haired girl. He leaned in close to her and looked into her eyes, whispering something. I focused on them with my Mai hearing. _

"_I love you, do you know that?" He said to the girl. _

"_Yes but do you love me enough to leave the prude?" she asked. _

"_Can you convince me?" he wiggled his brows at her and leaned in to kiss her..._

_I had had enough. I stood up and stalked over with my steaming coffee. Brian and the girl looked up in just enough time to see me throw it on them. _

"_You no good, lying, two-timing, dirty, cheating son-of-a-bitch! How long has this been going on?" I shouted at them while they hissed at the pain from the coffee. Everyone was looking at me, but I didn't care. I was hurt and angry and he deserved it. _

"_Chloe, this isn't what it looks like." the girl said. _

"_Oh really? Don't even try to cover for him. You just told him you wanted him to leave me for you! It's exactly what it looks like! Besides I've never met you. How would you know my name? Are you really that stupid?" I yelled. _

"_Chloe, how could you know that? Where did you come from? How long have you been here?" Brian asked. _

_I hesitated. "Is that really how you want to play this? You don't get to ask the questions. I do. How long has this been going on?" _

_Brian sighed. "About a month now." I felt my hands ball into fists. He had been faithful for 3 months out of the 5. "Before that there were two others. They each lasted for about a month too." Make that 1 month. Apparently he has a pattern. _

_I looked at the girl. "You can have this cheating bastard. I don't want him. He's worthless" Brian scoffed at this but I ignored him. I turned and walked back toward Amy, Paul, and my stuff. After a few steps I turned around. _

"_Oh! And one more thing? You should probably look for a new boyfriend. It seems to me that he has a one month thing and you're on your way out the door." I took their picture with my phone. "Good luck to the both of you. You're gonna need it when I post this picture on facebook with the caption 'The Cheater and the Other Woman. Bye"_

_The girl and Brian sat looking at each other and then at me as I reached my friends. Amy had gathered my things and was waiting for me at the door. _

"_I'm proud of you." She said and I grabbed my things and we walked out the door. Paul on one side and Amy on the other. _

"_I made a huge mistake. Alek was right." I said as the tears of anger fell down my face. _

The feelings of anger arose in me again and I felt my claws come out. I calmed myself and they slowly retracted.

The images faded as I shook my head.

Alone. This is what it felt like to be truly alone. Since my mother found out I was Mai things have been strained. She's accepting of it but she's still trying to sort everything out. She doesn't know how to be around me anymore. She's afraid to touch me or talk to me about it. She's been going off on business trips a lot since she found out. She also, hasn't really been sleeping much at night when she is here. I think she's afraid of me. Or afraid of the order.

I had no one. Amy and Paul were always out together. I tried to avoid them a lot since I always felt like a third wheel.

I sat up on my bed and listened to the dead silence of the house.

If this was alone, I hated being alone.

I got up and turned on my radio, not caring what was playing just needing sound. Looking for something to do to take my mind off of things, I decided to do laundry. I picked up a basket and started filling it with clothes. I picked up a pair of jeans with a hole in the knee. They were the jeans I had worn during training when I jumped the gap to another roof and didn't quite make it.

"_Stop being such a little scaredy human!" _Alek's words rang in my head. I sighed and put the basket down.

This is not something I'm proud of, but at this point I was miserable. I walked over to my closet and pulled out a box. Inside the box was a shirt and some other things that Alek kept at my house for those rainy nights and just everyday stuff. I pulled the shirt out and smelled it. Alek and I had never really been the kind of cuddly friends. We always had some distance between us (that is unless he kissed me or something like that) and we never really touched much at all. But I knew his scent. I knew the smell of his cologne, and the way his shampoo mixed with it.

He had a bottle of his cologne in the box. Alek, fittingly, wore the cologne English Leather by Dana. It was woody, leathery, and a little animalistic. It had notes of smoke and citrus and it was very earthy. It suited him. I took off the cap and sniffed the bottle, as a smile spread across my face.

I never realized how much I would miss Alek if he were to leave. I never realized how I felt about him. The day that I found out about Brian I could only think of one person I wanted to hold me and comfort me.

Sadly, I got up and walked over to my bed. I sprayed some of the cologne onto my pillow before placing it back into the box, and replacing the box in my closet. I grabbed the lion that Alek had won me at the fair and made my way over to my bed. I laid down curling up to my lion, breathing in the scent of Alek. Tears started to silently fall down my cheeks.

I sat up deciding I would try one last time to contact him. All my other attempts were met with no reply. I pick up my phone and started a message"

_Alek, I know I hurt you. I 'm so sorry. Please come home. We all miss you. I miss you. - Chloe_

I hit send not knowing what else to say before laying my phone back on my bed. I slowly fell into the first peaceful sleep I had had in months, breathing in Alek and clutching my lion.

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***Alek POV ***

_BUZZZZZ BUZZZZ _

My phone vibrated on the table as I sat doing psychology. It was required at UCLA. I ignored it until I had put the finishing touches on my paper. I sent the paper to my professor and closed my laptop. I reached over, picked it up, and clicked on the messaging icon on my phone.

_Alek. I know I hurt you. I'm so sorry. Please come home. We all miss you. I miss you. - Chloe_

Forgiveness. That was easy to give to Chloe. Comfort. That, too, was easy for me to give to Chloe. But friendship. That I could never do.

It wasn't that I hated Chloe or didn't want to be her friend. It was just that I couldn't _JUST _be friends with her. No matter how hard I had tried to forget her, or push her from my mind and heart I couldn't do it.

I had forgiven her months ago. I hadn't seen her in about 8 months, almost 9. The semester was coming to a close with only a week left, and I had planned to spend the summer with the LA pride, in an effort to avoid her. She was happy with Brian, and as long as she was happy I wasn't going to interfere with that.

Not that I wasn't still angry and hurt. It pissed me off when images of her and her human popped into my head and I couldn't make them go away. I was _Alek fucking Petrov_ girls don't just reject me. They don't pick other guys over me. I'm perfect...But I'm still not good enough for Chloe.

With that thought I went over and flopped down onto my bed. I had gotten an apartment when coming down here because there was no way in hell I was sharing a bathroom with anyone in those God awful dorms.

Silence filled the room as I lay there contemplating Chloe. What was she doing right now? How was she? Was she thinking about me?

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I reached into my bedside table and pulled out a bottle with a picture attached to it. It was a bottle of perfume I had stolen from Chloe's room one night while on Uniter duty, and the photo's from the photo booth the night of the fair. I stared down at the picture of me kissing her cheek and her smiling for a long time just thinking about how much I missed her.

It was weird not having to protect anyone. I had a lot of free time compared to when I was home. I still had my classes and that type of stuff but I had a lot of time left over. I filled it with training and working out, because it took my mind off of things. I had gotten a lot bigger, stronger, and faster since coming to LA.

Come to think of it, I had changed a lot. I mean I was still a cocky bastard but I was...just different. I was more reserved and kept more to myself. I was still a smart ass if you talked to me or I knew you but I wasn't the same old Alek Petrov. Wonder what Chloe would think of me now?

I took the cap off of the bottle of perfume and sniffed it. She wore Private Collection by Julian Rouas. It was musky, and floral, with hints of amber, lavender and vanilla. A rather costly perfume but she was about half way through this bottle when it "disappeared". I took it and sprayed it on my pillow, feeling pathetic but it helped me sleep when I couldn't. I put the bottle back into the drawer and laid back onto my pillow smelling Chloe and looking at our picture.

What _would_ Chloe think of me now?

I really had changed a lot since leaving. I missed my family. I missed Jasmine and Valentina. I missed my room and most of all...I missed Chloe. I missed feeling like I had a reason to do what I did. I missed feeling needed and important. I missed feeling like I belonged to something, to someone. I missed my life.

I realized I was running. I was running away from the rejection and hurt that came from Chloe. But I was also running from myself. I had built up this idea of myself in my head that no one could hurt me and that I was an important person. When I told my parents about the changes I was going through with the transformation I felt just like this. Rejected, unwanted, and unimportant. I built myself up into this person that I am today since what happened with my parents. This cocky, self-centered, arrogant type of guy. I tried to be perfect because I thought it would make them love me. I became the star athlete, made straight A's, I tried to be perfect. But on the inside I'm just a broken boy with a lot of issues. I ran from it all. All the feelings that Chloe had brought back up. She had practically held a mirror in front of me and showed me what a sad little boy I was. This time I was not running away. I was not going to lose someone who meant so much to me. Not this time. I'd lost my parents this way and I was not about to lose Chloe this way.

With that, I picked up my phone and texted the LA pride leader saying I was going home for the Summer instead.

Then I texted Chloe:

_Chloe, It's been a long time _I began. I wasn't sure what to say. I didn't want her to know I was coming home. I wanted it to be a surprise. I didn't know what to say to her, just that I wanted to say...something. I DID NOT want to ask her how she and Brian were doing. So I asked about common ground things. Like being the Uniter.

So my text went something like this:

_Chloe, It's been a long time. You asked me before to stop watching you. Looks like you got your wish. How does it feel? - Alek._

I hit send with a smirk. _Yeah Petrov! Common ground. _I thought. But upon reading my text, I felt a jolt of worry. I hope that didn't come across as bitter.

Finally while I had my phone I texted Valentina to let her know what I had planned. I was coming home...after Finals. I waited for about an hour more for Chloe to text back, surfing the web, but the smell of her perfume on my pillow was so comforting I fell into the deepest sleep I'd had all week.

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**A/N: Since the note at the beginning is kinda long I'll keep this one short. I'm thinking of making this a response to a challenge that was posted by SyfyGeek13 who got it from ********Lilianna.S**. **I'm not sure yet but I'm thinking I might. I'll post the challenge on my profile incase you want to know what it is.**

** Just so you know this might turn into rated M after so long. I just think its inevitable with the way Chalek is together. There is so much sexual tension between those two its palpable. (Which is a little tiny bit weird seeing as Skyler Samuels is 19 and Benjamin Stone is like 26, or just turned 27. Granted I'm 19 and have no issues with Benjamin Stone and him being 26/27 cause I mean seriously... * wink * But that just kinda made stop and think for a moment.) There will also be some bad language. As in curse words. So if you're sensitive, this might not be for you.**

**Anyway this is getting long. **

**If you have any suggestions or anything like that, please leave me a review. **

**Reviews help Alek with his parental issues..sniff.. * takes kleenex ***


	2. Chapter 2: Heartbeat

**A/N: Short and to the point. Thanks to those who have reviewed so far! I'm not gonna set a schedule because I won't stick to it. But I will update as much and as soon as possible. I've just got a lot going on right now. **

**And yeah, I did send Meredith on a business trip for this chapter. She will be in this story, just not right now. I felt like this chapter needed Chloe to be home alone. Also lots of switching between Chloe POV and Alek POV. Sorry if that annoys you, but this is their reunion. "AND I DON'T WANNA MISS A THANG!"**

**Chapter Two: Heartbeat everyone! **

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*** Alek POV* **

_Thump Thump Thump _

There is was. The sound that I had learned over countless nights of Uniter duty. The sound that had been a guiding beacon. The sound of home...Chloe's heartbeat. It was getting louder the closer I got. The fastest way to her house was by rooftop.

I had already been to see Valentina and Jasmine. I had deliberately asked them to keep my homecoming a secret from Chloe. I wanted to do this my way. I wanted to have a private conversation with her. I didn't want her to feel obligated to welcome me home. I wanted her love and respect. Not her sympathy.

If I was being honest with myself, I was extremely nervous for what I was about to do. But I'm not being honest with myself, so I'm not worried at all. I know the moment she sees me she will throw herself into my arms and kiss me passionately. I mean, I'm Alex Petrov. How could she not, right?

I leaped from rooftop to rooftop with ease, loving the feel of the breeze in my face. The moon was shining over head and I was just let my instincts guide me. I was letting them guide me to the sound of Chloe's heartbeat.

_* _**Chloe POV***

_Thump Thump Thump Thump_

I heard it. And erratic heartbeat that was still so familiar to me. The heartbeat that I fell asleep listening to as he sat on my roof protecting me.

Was it getting louder or was that just my imagination?

I was home alone, since my mom had a last minute business trip, and I was reading a book in my room when I heard it.

I stood up from my bed and looked out the window, but saw nothing. I turned around standing in the center of my room, trying to locate where it was coming from. I turned back to face the window. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the sound. My breathing slowed down but the heartbeat picked up.

He was close.

"Looking for something?" a British voice asked, very close to my face. My eyes popped open in surprise, and I was staring into his deep chocolate brown eyes. That's when a wave of emotion hit me like a ton of bricks.

* **Alek POV* **

I had finally reached Chloe's house, only to find her standing statue still in her room with her eyes closed, listening. I don't know what she was listening for but she was listening hard. She was doing what I had told her to do in the market when I told her to listen to my...

Heartbeat.

I couldn't think like that. I couldn't build up this idea that Chloe was looking for me. I couldn't allow myself to think that there was a chance she would be wanting me. I wasn't going to let her hurt me again.

But still...there was that hope. The hope that Chloe did have feelings for me and that she was, in fact, listening to my heartbeat just as I had been listening to hers.

I silently climbed through her window, and stood close to her. For a minute I just stood there paralyzed. That's when it hit me how much I had missed her. I wanted to laugh and cry all at the same time. I wanted to pick her up and kiss her and hug her and...what am I saying. I can't do that. _She doesn't feel the same way about you, idiot. _I thought.

With that, I said "Looking for something?" and jumped a little and finally opened her eyes.

* **Chloe POV***

Alek. I couldn't find words for the way I felt. There were so many things I wanted to say to him. I wanted to tell him how much I had missed him and that I wished things had been different with us. I wanted to yell at him and tell him he couldn't just run away. And I wanted to tell him how I felt about him, but I couldn't find the words for everything I wanted to day. So all that came out was this.

"Alek...I...You...We...I wish.." and a sigh. Then before I knew what was happening, I slammed myself to him in a crushing hug, and I was sobbing. How much I had missed him, how sorry I was that I had hurt him, all the hurt that Brian had caused (which I felt guilty about, since it wasn't his problem), and everything with my mom was all coming out. All of it was pouring out and soaking into Alek's shirt.

You know, that was kind of the perfect analogy for my relationship with Alek. He was always absorbing my problems. He was always taking the pain away from me. If I had ever needed anything, all I had to do was ask. He was always there for my to talk to, and he knew how to help me the most. He always knew exactly what I needed, and because of that I felt like shit for crying on his shoulder now.

***Alek POV ***

_What the actual fuck? _That was the thought that ran through my mind when Chloe flung herself onto me.

I was afraid to move. I usually knew how to help Chloe, but I was at a loss with this. She had just sputtered a little bit and then crushed me to her weeping. I had never seen Chloe cry, not like this. I had seen her cry at Xavier's death, but even that wasn't quite like this. This was raw emotion. This was pent up stuff.

I was not expecting this. I had expected anything but this. I didn't know who to deal with this. I didn't know what to say. So I didn't say anything. I just wrapped my arms around her waist and hugged her back.

For some reason that seemed to make her cry harder. So I just bent down, picked her up bridal style and carried her to her bed, where I put her down and climbed up beside her (since she wouldn't let go).

"I-I-I'm so s-s-s-or-r-y." She sobbed into my shoulder. This was not a time to be thinking about me. I had planned on being firm with her and not letting her know that she hurt me, or that that's why I left, but I couldn't do that to her. Not now. Not while she was like this.

So instead, I just let my instincts take over. I wiped her tears with the pad of my thumb and rubbed her hair back.

"Shhh. You're ok. I've got you." I said, which seemed to calm her some, so I did it some more. "I've got you. You're safe." Before I knew what I was doing I kissed her forehead.

The moment my lips made contact with her skin I went a bit rigid. That was not a good idea. I was just digging myself in deeper.

At the same moment that my lips touched her skin, she calmed drastically.

I decided not to make a big deal of it, but not to do it again. I did, however, continue to brush her hair back from her face and console her.

"I'm so sorry Alek. I've missed you so much. I never meant to hurt you. I'm so sorry." she whimpered.

"Hurt me? I don't know what you mean." Of course she missed me. She missed this. Someone to pick up the pieces when she falls.

"Alek, you know what I'm talking about." She pulled away to look at me, but I couldn't look at her.

I pulled away completely and my shoulder felt cold. Not from the night air hitting my shoulder, but from missing Chloe's heat. But I would never tell anyone that. So I scooted to the foot of the bed facing her. And wiped at my shoulder trying to dry it. She made a face that said "sorry" and hung her head.

"So what was all of that about?" I asked her.

"You have no idea what's been going on." She began. I shrugged like I didn't know, and she continued. "Well, after you left my mom started to pull away from me. She tries to get out of town trips and when she's here so doesn't sleep. I think she's scared of me. Brian's a cheater. Jasmine isn't around much, and neither are Amy and Paul. You left. And I'm still afraid that the order is out to get me."

Wow. I didn't have any idea what had happened. I never thought that Chloe's mom would react that way. I knew it was a possibility, but I never thought it would happen. I knew Jas was away at school but I didn't know Chloe was alone. I knew that Chloe would probably always live in fear of the oder, or someone else, but I didn't realize how bad.

And then there's Brian. Her human. He had _cheated_? On _Chloe?! _That was rich. I always knew I never liked him, and not just because Chloe had chosen him. Of course, that stung, but something was off about him from the beginning. I could just kill him with my bear hands for hurting Chloe.

I could feel the anger rising up in my until I realized the other thing she had said was bothering her. I had left. She had missed me. I had an overwhelming joy come over me, before I smothered it, trying to get myself in check. I couldn't get my hopes up.

"Please don't say I told you so. You were right. About everything." She finished. I nodded scooted up beside her.

"I missed you too. We can figure things out tomorrow, but for now you need to sleep. You're safe now. I'm not going anywhere." I said as she snuggled into my side. I reached over and turned the light off. I rubbed her hair until I heard her breathing and heart slow down in a peaceful rhythm.

Chloe had been sleep for some time before I had to move. I couldn't just sit in the same spot for so long. I pulled myself from her grip and stood up to stretch my legs. I had a lot on my mind and couldn't sleep. I looked out the window for a bit thinking about the mess things had become. After a while I felt better physically and headed back toward the bed, but stopped short.

There next to the bed was a box, and there on top of the box was the lion I had won Chloe at the fair so long ago. I couldn't believe she had kept it. I lifted it off the box and lifted the lid to the box. Inside was one of my shirts, a bottle of my cologne, a tooth brush and toothpaste, a razor, and a couple other little things. Why would this be by her bed? I closed the box and replaced the lion, before returning to my spot beside Chloe.

With the weight of my body on her pillow a scent wafted from the pillow all around me. It was my smell. I leaned down and sniffed Chloe's pillow. It reeked of my cologne. Was this why that box was by her bed? Had she missed me that much? I smiled to myself thinking about how I had done the same thing, the night before. As if I needed an ego boost.

I was smiling like an idiot as I finally fell asleep with Chloe curled into my side.

**A/N: I know its not the best, but it was getting long. The next chapter will be better. **

**Remember any comments, questions, concerns or suggestions can be left in a review. **

**Thanks for reading! **


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